Cleaning your gutters isn’t the prettiest or most enjoyable household chore, but it is necessary when owning your own house. Gutters control the flow of rainwater and they are the main defense for your roof, walls, foundation and landscape. Material that can get into the gutters include leaves, branches, dirt and other foreign objects. When these begin to accumulate it can cause a stoppage and your gutters can overflow. Here are 6 reasons why you should always be sure to add “clean the gutters” to your list of to-dos.

What if You Don’t Clean Your Gutters

1. Cracks in your Foundation

If your gutters don’t get cleaned out, they can overflow and begin to pool along your home’s foundation. If that water doesn’t get a chance to drain and freezes it can expand and cause cracks in the foundation. According to HomeAdvisor.com the National Average to repair a foundation is $4,026 with a low end of $450 and a high end of $11,434.

2. Damage to Fascia

Your fascia is the board that runs right behind and underneath your gutter. This board is typically made out of wood and if the water overflows into the fascia board it can deteriorate and rot away. Replacing your Fascia board can cost anywhere from $15 to $25 a linear food if you get it installed professionally.

3. Roof Damage

Similar to the fascia board, if your gutters overflow with water, your roof can begin to rot. Replacing a roof can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $8,400. This is an expensive, labor-intensive job that can come along with not cleaning your gutters.

4. Damage to Gutter Brackets

The weight of the debris that falls into the gutter is something people don’t typically think about. If enough debris falls into the gutter, it can be too much weight for the gutters brackets to handle. This can cause them to break and potentially knock down a large portion of your gutter.

5. Driveaway Damage

Water not draining properly can cause mold to grow on your driveway, or in the winter it could freeze and become ice. This can be a safety concern for anyone leaving the house before the ice has had time to melt or the mold has been cleaned off.

6. Landscape Damage

Plants need water to grow but unfortunately getting an overflow of water is just as detrimental as not getting enough water. Plants that are in the way of a waterfall that comes from an overflowed gutter can be killed because of the water pooling up around or even underneath them.

How to Clean Your Gutters

Doing it yourself

Cleaning your gutters seems simple, but it can be a dangerous job. Climbing a latter up to the first or second story is a lot higher than you may think. Be sure your latter is sturdy and have someone hold it steady from the bottom. When you’re up there don’t reach too far to one side and be sure to use gloves and safety glasses.

Professional Cleaning

Professional cleanings can cost anywhere from $75 to $225 for an average sized home. The professionals will remove debris from the gutters and downspouts and repair any loose gutter brackets.

It’s one of the questions that we hear most often and something to which first-time homebuyers often spend months, if not years, trying to figure out the answer.

Below are a list of four tell-tale signs that you’re ready to bite the bullet and take the leap into home ownership:

Sign #1: You’re ready to settle down

The first sign that you’re in the right mindset to become a homeowner is that you’re ready to stay put — at least for a little while.

Conventional wisdom states that in order for your purchase to make financial sense, you’ll want to plan on staying put for at least the next five years. When you sit down to think about house hunting, you’ll want to use that timeframe as your reference point.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Can you see yourself staying at your job for that long, or will you be looking for new opportunities?

If the right position came along, would you be willing to move for it?

Do you like the area you’re living in, or would you like to explore other options?

Do you see your living situation changing soon?

Are you planning on moving in with a significant other or expanding your family?

If these questions make you squirmy, the idea of looking five years into the future still feels a little too far ahead for you to grasp, or you still want to see where life life takes you, you may want to consider renting for a bit longer or thinking about a for-a-few-years home vs. a forever home.

2. You’re done living paycheck-to-paycheck

Let’s face it, becoming a homeowner is expensive.

Not only is there a monthly mortgage mortgage payment to consider, which will likely be more than your current rent check, but prospective homebuyers need to be prepared to come up with a sizable down payment, shoulder a portion of the closing costs, and have the dough to take care of any necessary repairs.

Luckily, there is a way that you can prepare for the added financial pressure before the big day comes and understand how much house you can afford. Use a mortgage calculator to estimate what a monthly payment could based on the type of home you’re looking to buy. Then, subtract the amount you pay in rent each month, and aim to put the the remainder into savings.

Start by working towards a down payment that could be worth 3%-10% of a home’s sale price, and then move onto a seperate emergency fund.

3. You’re ready for more responsibility

Once you find a home and actually buy it, that’s really where all the fun begins.

Yes, owning a home means that you have a lot more freedom to improve the property as you see fit — whether that means putting in an entirely new kitchen or redoing the hardwood floors.

However, in addition to that creative freedom comes an added layer of responsibility. As the homeowner, you’re the one who is responsible for any necessary maintenance and upkeep on the property.

Think about what you’re like as a tenant now.

Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and help with small tasks or are you relieved to know that you have someone to call? If you’re less handy, you may want to take some time to familiarize yourself with common home maintenance tasks before committing to buying anything. It always helps to have a fair idea of what you’re getting into.

4. You know what you’re looking for

Last but not least, though it may sound self-explanatory, when you’re trying to determine whether or not you’re ready to buy a home, it’s useful to have an idea of what you’re looking for.

You don’t have to have every single detail set in stone. (In fact, it’s preferable if you leave some room to flexibility in your home search.) That said, though, having a basic set of parameters in mind will make the homebuying process go much easier.

Here, you’ll want to think about the most important factors that you absolutely must have in a home. These will be the things that you would not feel comfortable buying a home without. This may include details like your preferred location, an ideal number of bedrooms and bathrooms, a target sale price, or any specific must-have features like that perfect picture window view.

If you have a strong idea of your must-haves and can’t see that changing in the near future, and the above signs sound like you, you may just be ready to take the plunge into home ownership. If not, there’s no shame in the game waiting.